Hanging shutter

Good evening, All. I have a Graphic Kodak No. 3 Supermatic 152mm lens. The shutter is stiff and hangs up. I was just wondering if WD40 is a good thing to use or if there might be another lubricant better suited.

 

Thanks!

Lighter fluid would be better. WD40 will leave an oily film and doesn't evaporate completely as does lighter fluid.

 

Edit: Cleaning is required before lubrication, hence the lighter fluid. For lubrication, the shutter really needs to be disassembled.

WD40 is a witch's brew.

Use naphtha and sparingly.

Naphtha/lighter fluids can help bringing back life to some stuck things but unless you disassemble, you should think of it as a hack that can go both ways. It is best to know exactly where it will do good, or you may end up with a mess.

You want to avoid it getting in between lens elements and other unintended locations.

 

Forget about WD40.

Google Richard Haw if you want to get some pragmatic suggestions for tools and lubrications for hobby repair if want to dive deeper.

Here's a link to Richard's homepage: https://richardhaw.com/lens-camera-repair-fundamentals/

Thank you, gentlemen. Does anyone still do repairs on these lenses? My hands are just to shaky to do much delicate work.

Thank you, gentlemen. Does anyone still do repairs on these lenses? My hands are just to shaky to do much delicate work.

If you can manage to get the cover plate off the shutter, it probably needs no more dismantling than that. And nothing that requires really delicate manipulation.

 

95 times out of 100, it's just dirt and 'gunk' that stops a shutter working. And a good clean with lighter fluid in the right areas will get years more trouble-free use out of it.

 

There are two gear trains in most shutters. One from the drive spring to the cocking lever and leaf mechanism, and another (usually a self-contained module) that regulates the shutter speed. The shutter speed module is usually the one most in need of cleaning, but sometimes the drive train as well. The drive-train needs a tiny amount of light oil after cleaning - definitely not WD-40 - since it's driven quite hard by the spring. The speed regulator train will usually happily run 'dry', but sometimes wear demands that the pin bearings have a little watchmakers oil as well.

 

Beware! Sometimes the cover plate keeps parts in place. So don't operate the shutter with the cover off. Just clean and re-assemble and see how it goes. It's usually a quick and simple job to get the cover on/off, if the 1st cleaning attempt didn't work.

 

If you decide on the DIY option - good luck!

Edited July 29, 2022 by rodeo_joe|1